And boy, did it start. This year, our schedule is more hectic than ever between the kids’ activities, my work and juggling a confusing schedule of school pick-ups. With Will in the first grade this year, there is also a constant stream of homework and studying (he averages 2-3 tests and quizzes per week). Even Paige, who is still in preschool, has had homework this year, thanks to a new and enhanced school curriculum.

Talk about going from zero to sixty, right?

Tonight it occurred to me that we’ve finally hit our stride in this whole school year business. The kids have their after school routine down. Homework gets done with minimal resistance, dinners are back to being eaten in the kitchen at our table and bedtime happens faster and easier. Sure, there are times when the kids want just a little more time to play before bed (and I have to say no). But overall, things are flowing now.

Even dinner prep, which was a challenge for me in post-summertime, is happening on time and without so much stress. I’m back in the routine of cooking earlier so that we eat earlier. In summer, a 6:30 or 7 p.m. dinner was fine for us. But during the school year, dinner needs to happen at 5:30 or 6 p.m. The key to making this happen was relying on easy, minimal prep dinners.

Of course, it hasn’t been without challenge. Earlier this week, I mentioned that I’ve been in a bit of a protein-rut lately and was hoping that an assignment I’ve been working on with Costco and the National Pork Board might help me break out of it. Thank goodness, it did.

This pork dish — Apricot-Glazed Sage and Garlic Pork Tenderloin — may sound complicated, but it’s actually really simple: Cut slits into tenderloin and stuff them with sage and garlic. Bake for 30 minutes. Glaze with apricot and bake a little more. (Ok, there are a few little steps I left out, but you have the idea.) It takes maybe 5 minutes to prep. Now, granted, it does take about an hour total — from prep to plate — to get on the table. But it’s so hands off that it’s a-ok. And the leftovers? Perfect for another night’s dinner … or packing for lunch.

But what about the flavor? The sage and garlic subtly flavors the pork, without being overwhelming. (Note: you will want to carefully fork out the garlic and sage leaves before eating.) And the apricot preserves gives the meat a pleasant sweet coating all over — and no, it’s not in-your-face apricot flavored. In fact, Will likened the flavor to a sweet barbecue sauce.

Worth. Every. Bite.

If you want to learn more about pork and how to cook the many cuts of it, check out the Pork, Be Inspired website. Also, you should know that back in May, the USDA lowered the temperature guideline for pork loins, chops and roasts from 160 degrees F to 145 degrees F with a three-minute rest. It will be pinker than you grew up with  — but it will also be juicier and so tender. Trust me, you’ll like it. Ground pork should still be cooked to 160 degrees F. For best results, use a meat thermometer to ensure that your meat is cooked to the right temperature.

Apricot-Glazed Sage and Garlic Pork Tenderloin
serves 6-8

2 lbs pork tenderloin (roughly 2 tenderloins – NOTE: Costco ones come two wrapped together)
8 sage leaves, rinsed
2 cloves garlic, sliced into 3 slices each (6 total)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup apricot preserves

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. The oven rack should be in the center of the oven.

Rinse the tenderloins under cool water. Then, cut 7 slices half-way through each tenderloin at even intervals. Fill the 7 slices in each tenderloin with alternating sage and garlic (in this order: sage-garlic-sage-garlic-sage-garlic-sage). Salt and pepper liberally.

Place the tenderloins side by side (but not touching) in a shallow oven-safe pan (I used a glass 9×13-inch pan). Bake for 15 minutes. Gently turn the tenderloins over and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Brush the tenderloins liberally with apricot preserves, all over. Make sure to use all of it (it’s okay to pile it on a bit as the heat will make it run down the sides). Bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove the tenderloins from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Slice into thin slices and serve.

For an added treat, spoon some of the pan juices over each plate. It’s delicious like that.

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$25 Costco Cash Giveaway

Costco has provided me with a $25 Costco Cash card to giveaway to one lucky reader. The entry period begins on October 22, 2011 and closes at 11:59 p.m. on October 28, 2011. One winner will be selected via Random.org on October 29 and will be notified via email. The winner must reply within 72 hours or another winner will be chosen. Contest open to U.S. residents only. No purchase necessary.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED – Congrats to Commenter #25, Anash.

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Disclosure: I was contracted by The Motherhood to create a pork recipe for Costco and the National Pork Board and am being compensated for my time and materials. Nonetheless, all opinions expressed are my own.

Ok. Maybe Split Pea Soup isn’t just for spring, but I do associate it with it, especially because I make it using a leftover ham bone (did you save one from Easter? I did … and I have one in the freezer too). But really it’s perfect for any time of year, especially if you remember to save your ham bones for later.It’s not the prettiest thing to come out of the kitchen, but I love it anyway.

The first time I remember having Split Pea Soup was in the springtime with my grandparents. We ate it outside in the backyard from little paper bowls with plastic spoons. I remember sitting at the black metal table, my feet swinging from the chair and being surprised at how good the sweet, smoky soup was.

Whenever I taste it, I think of that day. Amazing how flavors can become so intertwined with memory, isn’t it?

My recipe for Split Pea Soup is simple and easy, just the way I like it. It only takes a few ingredients to combine and create just the right flavor. Making it does take a little while though — close to two hours, plus soaking time for the peas. But much of that time is hands off, so it’s not that bad. Nonetheless, this isn’t for a busy weeknight — save it for the weekend instead.

And speaking of the weekend, I hope you really enjoy yours.

Split Pea Soup
serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock or broth (I prefer Kitchen Basics)
4 cups water
1 ham bone with a little meat still attached
1 lb dried split peas, soaked according to package directions
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot set over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until the onions are softened and begin to brown ever so slightly.

Add the stock or broth, water, ham bone and split peas. Stir well to combine. Bring to a slow boil and then set the timer for 10 minutes. Once the timer goes off, stir again. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Cook, stirring a couple times, for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Remove the cover  and taste. Season, as needed, with salt and pepper to desired taste. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

This is fabulous served with a buttery grilled cheese sandwich.

Remember how I was meal planning for a while? It worked so well, and being organized (and planned) made the evenings go really smoothly.

Unfortunately, I really haven’t done that in a long time. In fact, my meal planning calendar still lists a week in October. As a result, dinner has become a great big hectic feat — I hate that. It’s awful when you see 5 p.m. fast approaching with nothing defrosted and no idea what to make. Clearly, I need to start doing that again.

When I took out pork chops for dinner last night, I knew I needed to have a plan long before dinnertime arrived. Otherwise, I would be freaking out, and trying to figure out how to turn them into something tasty.

I rarely make pork of any kind, so I turned to my vast collection of cookbooks. I don’t often cook from cookbooks, but when I do it’s because I need to make something that will most likely work. Since I am relatively inexperienced with pork, this stir-fry recipe allowed me to experiment with a new way of making chops … and it turned out great. I will definitely use this cooking method again (and this recipe too).

Making this Quick Pork and Peanut Stir-Fry was so easy. I traded out chicken broth for vegetable stock that I had in the fridge. I also used a low-sodium soy sauce and halved the amount of ginger in the recipe. The result was an intensely flavored dish that everyone polished off fast. I loved the sweet-ish sauce with the crunch of the peanuts and onioniness of the scallions (aka green onions).

The trick to making this quickly is to have all the ingredients ready to go when you start cooking. It takes maybe 15 minutes to make, max, so you won’t be waiting long to enjoy it.

What’s your favorite stir-fry?

Quick Pork and Peanut Stir-Fry
serves 4
Adapted from All You Eat Well, Save Big Cookbook

1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp light olive oil
1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
5 scallions, chopped with the white parts and the green parts separated
1 lb boneless pork chops, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped (plus extra for sprinkling)

Whisk together the vegetable stock, soy sauce, rice vinegar and cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (closer to medium than high). Add the white part of the scallions and the ginger and cook for one minute, stirring once or twice.

Add the pork to the skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no pink is visible.

Pour the sauce into the skillet and add the peanuts. Stir well to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and coats everything. Add a little extra vegetable stock, if necessary, to give the sauce your desired consistency.

Serve over rice.

Disclosure: I don’t know if I actually need to disclose this or not, but this cookbook was a gift from someone at the publisher. I wasn’t asked to review it (as it was a gift), but I liked this recipe so much that I wanted to write about it. I wasn’t asked to write about this at all. I chose to.

Pork chops are one of those foods that elicit either really positive or really negative reactions in my house. Some recipes, like Pork Chops Saltimbocca and Rosemary Garlic Pork Chops are total favorites, while others fall completely flat — leaving us silent and brooding. And honestly, whenever I say we are having pork chops for dinner, the statement is met with silence …

Yes, I find pork a challenging meat to work with.

Fortunately, I’ve learned over the years that if I plan ahead and really think about a recipe before I make it, I more often than not meet with pork chop success. That’s the case with these Marinated Grilled Pork Chops. These babies are a little tangy (thanks to the lime!) and definitely flavorful. But it’s not overpowering flavor, instead it’s subtle and light … just right for serving with rice and a big salad.

What is great about this recipe, I think, is that it’s largely a throw-together one. The marinade takes just a few minutes to whisk together, then you set the meat to soak it up for between 30 minutes and an hour, and then you grill it. Easy peasy, and it doesn’t even heat up your kitchen.

So, what did my crew of tasters think? There wasn’t a spec of pork left after dinner … in fact, Paige asked to be excused, leaving some on her plate, but then quickly returned to finish it. Frequency of that happening? Close to never.

Do you have a killer grilled pork chop recipe? Share the recipe (or a link) in the comments!

]]> http://sarahscucinabella.com/2010/06/03/pork-chops-marinated-and-on-the-grill/feed/ 0 http://sarahscucinabella.com/2009/08/05/oh-me-oh-my-pork-chops-saltimbocca/ http://sarahscucinabella.com/2009/08/05/oh-me-oh-my-pork-chops-saltimbocca/#comments Wed, 05 Aug 2009 03:34:16 +0000 Sarah W. Caron http://sarahscucinabella.com/?p=1695

Whenever Gourmet magazine arrives, I skim it almost immediately. But the trouble with skimming is that you can totally miss something amazing. And delicious. And totally craveworthy.

That almost happened with this Pork Chops Saltimbocca with Sauteed Spinach recipe. I nearly passed it right on over. The title of the recipe didn’t catch my eye, and while the photo was alluring, it just didn’t stop me in my tracks. However, when I was flipping through this weekend, putting together a meal plan for the week, I stopped on this recipe. A few weeks ago, I picked up some beautiful bone-in pork chops and I really needed to eat them already. When I saw that this had prosciutto and fontina in it, I was hooked.

Oh my goodness, you need to make this recipe. It’s divine.

The pork cooks up with so much flavor bursting out every inch. It’s tender, salty and scrumptious. The smooth cheese melts, creating a wonderful, gooey and sharp center to the chop. And the sauce just brings a wonderful richness to the dish. We’ll be eating this again soon.

Heck, Shawn declared the dish restaurant quality — how much better can it get than that?

Pork Chops Saltimbocca
serves 2
Adapted slightly from Gourmet Magazine

2 (1-inch-thick) center-cut rib pork chops
4 sage leaves, finely chopped
2 1-ounce slices of Italian Fontina
4 thin slices prosciutto, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450°F and make sure that the rack is set in the middle of the oven.

Carefully pierce the pork chop on the side and create a pocket as large as you can. Divide the sage evenly between the pork chops, stuffing into the pocket. Stuff one slice of fontina and one slice of prosciutto into each chop and then season both sides of the chops with salt and pepper.

Add the olive oil to a 12-inch ovenproof skillet and heat over medium-high, until hot. Add the pork chops and cook for about two minutes, until the down-side is golden. Flip the chops and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, until cooked through. Immediately transfer the chops to a plate and set aside.

Meanwhile, chop the remaining two slices of prosciutto into small pieces and set aside.

Place the skillet on a warm burner and add the butter and lemon juice, whisking to scrape up the brown pieces at the bottom. Add the prosciutto bits and cook for 1-2 minutes until the bits are browned and slightly crispy. Spoon the sauce over the chops and serve immediately.

Knock, knock!

That’s what Paige says when she’s running into a room. It’s her own special way of announcing her presence. It brings an ear-to-ear smile to my face just to think about it. She is so sweet, so smart and so loving … I couldn’t ask for more. And this weekend, she impressed me as she actually acknowledged and played with my niece, who is just three months older. It was nice to see the girls and Will get along so well.

We are back from the wedding and back to life (after hitting the minor speed bump of a half-day of power outage today). That means, as promised, we are back to food. YAY!

One of my very, very, very favorite things is a well-seasoned pork tenderloin. Particularly one that has the rich flavors of garlic, rosemary and white wine soaked deep through the meat. This recipe adapts those delicious flavors to the faster-cooking pork chop. It’s a rich, tender and tasty way to enjoy boneless chops.

Serve it up with some rice pilaf and a green veggie (like green beans) and you will have an easy and delicious meal.

Rosemary Garlic Pork Chops
serves 4

1 lb pork chops (boneless, thin-cut)
12 ” portion of rosemary, needles removed and minced (discard the woody stick)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tbsp white wine

Rinse the pork chops in cold water. Place in a single layer in a flat-bottomed container and set aside.

In a small food processor, combine the rosemary, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and white wine. Process until well combined.

Spread the marinade mixture over the pork chops and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for at least an hour. Flip the pork chops, scraping the mixture off one side and rubbing into the second side of the chops. Get ready to cook, letting the pork site for 5-10 more minutes.

Cook to desired doneness on the grill or under a broiler.

Me: I’m thinking of making a quiche with the leftover ham for breakfast tomorrow.
Shawn: A quiche? (crinkles nose) Am I even going to like that?
Me: I don’t see why you wouldn’t. It’s just eggs, ham and cheese.
Shawn: That’s all?
Me: Yes, that’s it. I can’t believe you’ve never had one before

My husband had never had quiche before I whipped this one up last week. Although it was a brunch staple in my household growing up, it wasn’t in his. He was particularly surprised to actually like it. It just goes to show that just because you haven’t had something doesn’t mean it isn’t totally delicious and worth eating.

Quiche is a lighter, fluffier French cousin of the frittata. It is often made in a pie crust, but can be made crustless as well. For this quiche, I used leftover ham but you could use a cubed ham steak too for this recipe too. But the possibilities for quiche are endless. Vegetables and meats of all shapes and sizes can be added. But you have to have cheese, if you ask me. Without cheese, it’s just eggs in a crust. But, traditionally, quiches didn’t typically contain cheese . . .

For seasoning, this recipe uses herbes de provence, which is a dried herb blend consisting of rosemary, fennel, thyme, savory, basil, tarragon, dill weed, oregano, lavender, chervil and marjoram. I use this blend a lot because it combines several of my favorite herbs – rosemary, thyme, basil and lavender, namely. It is mostly used to season chickens, beef or pork tenderloin, but gives a great flavor to this quiche. My bottle comes from Penzeys but you can also order it from Amazon with free shipping (yay!).

Quick Ham and Cheese Quiche
serves 6

1 prepared pie shell (NOT a deep dish shell)
1 1/2 cup cooked ham, diced
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1 cup 1% milk
1/2 tsp herbes de provence
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the pie crust in a pie pan (if it isn’t already in one) and put that on a cookie sheet. Layer ham then cheese in the pie crust. Whisk together eggs, milk, herbs, pepper and salt. Pour the mixture over the cheese.

Put the quiche on the baking sheet into the preheated oven and cook for 32 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes until the top is puffed and golden and a tester (such as a toothpick) inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. It makes a great addition to a brunch or could be served alongside some sliced seasonal fruits . . . Mmmm.

Let’s get something clear – I don’t like pork chops. I purchased a large quantity when I was developing recipes for the cookbook and have several left over. I was dreading eating them, but knew I couldn’t put it off forever (much as I would like to!). But then I saw a recipe at Kalyn’s Kitchen. Simple, easy, and sounding quite tasty. I decided to try it.

Of course, I was missing some ingredients and added others. When all was said and done, Shawn likened this to the boneless spareribs at our local Chinese food restaurant – except, this version is cleaner, healthier and fresher. And without prompting, he answered the question I always ask him, “Would you have me make this again?” with enthusiastic affirmation. As for Will? He was too busy eating it up as fast as he could give any response . . . but I imagine that means it was good.

So, thanks Kalyn for the inspiration. This was a great dish (speaking of dishes, that is Will’s new Corelle there – He’s loving it.)

1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground ginger (the powdered one you’ll find in the supermarket)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp cinnamon (use a good quality one)
4 thick pork chops

Combine all the ingredients except the pork chops in a bowl and whisk together.

Wash pork chops and place in a Ziploc bag. Pour marinade over. Let sit for 8 hours or more (I let mine marinate all day while I was at work – about 9.5 hours.

Cooking Methods:

1) Grill: Set the heat to medium on your gas grill. Let the grill warm. Place pork chops on and cook, 6-8 minutes on each side. Cut into the chops to be sure they are done. If they aren’t, cut slits 1/4 inch apart, place on top rack and turn heat up to high. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until done.

2) Oven:Turn on your broiler. Place pork chops on a broiling pan and into the oven. Cook about 12-16 minutes until cooked through. Follow the above procedure if they aren’t yet done.